It has been revealed that a film that featuring a Black version of Superman was reportedly dismissed by Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav.
Zaslav, 65, became the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery in April 2022 and started to look at how to course-correct their DC comics films following several flops.
One idea that was pitched was a high-profile script by author Ta-Nehisi Coates about a Black Superman in the civil rights era.
In a piece exploring Warner Bros attempts to reboot the DC output, the Wall Street Journal reports that Zaslav wasn’t keen on the idea because it was “too woke”.
The report also hints that the DC Studios’ new co-CEOs, James Gunn and Peter Safran, could reboot the project at a later date.
AV Club reports that Coates’s script dates back to 2021 and would’ve been for a movie that was set to be produced by Star Wars director JJ Abrams.
At the time, Coates said in a statement: “To be invited into the DC Extended Universe by Warner Bros., DC Films and Bad Robot is an honour. I look forward to meaningfully adding to the legacy of America's most iconic mythic hero.”
Abrams added: “There is a new, powerful and moving Superman story yet to be told. We couldn't be more thrilled to be working with the brilliant Mr. Coates to help bring that story to the big screen, and we're beyond thankful to the team at Warner Bros for the opportunity.”
Coates, 49, won the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction for his book Between the World and Me. In 2024, he published the book The Message, which documented his travels around the world.
He also wrote a 2016 Black Panther series for Marvel Comics, which became the best-selling comic of the year. Black Panther’s first issue has sold 253,259 copies during its first month on sale. Trailing in the second spot was Star Wars: Poe Dameron with 175,000 copies sold.
The book re-imagines the story of T’Challa, the prince and warrior hailing from the fictional African nation of Wakanda, as the character celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Meanwhile, Superman has been rebooted by Warner Bros and DC Studios with a new movie directed by James Gunn starring David Corenswet as the iconic hero, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor.
